Wednesday, July 7, 2010

80 percent area in Kurram Agency cleared from militants-Col TouseefPARACHINAR, July 6 (APP): Commander Incharge Kurram Militia, Col Touseef Akhtar Tuesday claimed that 80 percent of Kurram Agency has been purged from militants while remaining area would also be cleared from the miscreants very soon. He said this while talking with a group of newsmen air flown by FC to Parachinar, headquarters of Kurram Agency. Briefing the newsmen about the military operation in the area, Col Touseef said Kurram Agency was divided into three zones and the brave officials of para military force forced the militants to escape from the area. He said the militants had made the life of Kurram dwellers very miserable and innocent people were killed without any reason. The militants, he continued, had closed Tall-Parachinar road as a result of which supply of essential items including food and medicine to the agency was very nominal. In few areas, he added, fifty kg bag of wheat flour was sold at a rate of Rs. 7000 to Rs. 8000 because of the acute scarcity of the commodity. Similarly, he added, due to shortage of wheat several people died because they were not able to get proper treatment. The Kurram Militia, he continued, has made a resolve of combating with militants and purging the area from them. Due to firm resolve of the armed forces, the agency was not only cleared from miscreants, but the 89 kilometer Tall-Parachinar road were reopened after a gap of three years, he added. Col Touseef informed newsmen that force have also took control of Pak-Afghan border area. The sectarian strife in the agency was also resolved to a greater extend by holding Peace Jirga, he added. He said in Upper Kurram, the Doogar area was cleared from militants within a fortnight. The area was in control of militants from the last two years. In Doogar, he continued, the militants had established training camps and were holding drugs business. The Doogar operation was completed on December 12, 2009 in which 18 officials embraced martyrdom and 47 were injured. While 96 militants were killed. He informed that a wanted Taliban leader, Mullah Toofan also belonged to this area who was also killed in the operation. He said the militants had spread terror in the region and made the life of people miserable by carrying out kidnapping and killing. However, the brave action taken by armed forces has broke their back and successfully cleared the area from miscreants. APP/ Hamid